As a new feature - once the 'rant' takes me, the text will go bold!
The greediness just keeps on going!
What with all the banks spending our money, asking for the government to give them more of our money to keep them in business, then borrowing more of our money to pay off the debts they incurred while spending our money, then asking for even more of our money to pay themselves bonuses for all the 'hard' work they did in losing our money and then negotiating to get their hands on more of our money - you kinda get the picture!
Then you hear about MP Jacqui Smith who is claiming expenses of £160,000 per year for her 'second home' - the place where she lives to be closer to her work in London. This second home happens to be her Sister's place and according to eyewitnesses (the neighbours) she's hardly ever fucking there! She, of course, denies any wrongdoing and it's all above board and totally legal under the Government rules. So that's the end of that. You would think that it couldn't get any worse wouldn't you? Think again.
A pensioner in my hometown decided to follow all the Government guidelines on energy saving. She had her property insulated and replaced all her lightbulbs with energy saving ones. Margaret Pracy (above) followed all the steps and suggestions and has got her pre-pay meter spending down to around £5 a week - not only saving the planet but also money in these lean times for the general public. So did she get a pat on the back? A certificate from the local council congratulating her on her energy saving diligence? No. She gets a 'fine' from British Gas (her energy supplier) of 54p a week for not using enough energy!!!
This is outrageous. It also says "Don't worry about what the government say, or saving the planet - cos if you do try, we'll charge you for your troubles!" Thing is, when we moved into our flat, the tenants before us were on key meters for both gas and electric. We'd never had them before and we were surprised with just how much money you had to put into these things to stop the supply running out. What's laughable is the fact that key meters are usually targeted at households that are living on or beneath the breadline (you use them just like a pay-as-you-go mobile phone) but when the workman came to replace ours with normal meters, he told us that the price of the gas/electric is actually 25% more than 'normal supplies' - so how exactly does that work out then???
But once more, the big industry gets away with it. We received a gas bill for £279 a fortnight ago. Now, I know I eat a bit but I certainly don't use that much gas to cook with. Yes, we do have the heating on but we have to otherwise Mum would freeze - especially in her current state of health - and the Government advises older people to not freeze to death, turn the heating on if you are cold! Well how the fuck do you think they would be able to afford that? If they did, they'd get a huge bill sent to them, they wouldn't be able to pay it, the computer would automatically send out a reminder, then a red letter, then activate proceedings to retrieve that money, after cutting off the supply of course, then activate legal proceedings, then send round the bailiffs, who with their new powers don't need to knock on the door and can actually break into the property and if the poor old dear is still alive after all the stress on top of the pnuemonia he/she can watch them take away all their valuables and possesions to the value of the exorbitant bill!!!
Don't mater though, this country don't want to know if you're over 60 and/or earning under £60,000, so a cull of them oiks outside that bracket would do Britain the world of good.
When asked on the BBC News what would happen to pensioners and people on the poverty line when British Gas hiked its prices up higher than inflation last year, the British Gas spokesman said they would look into ways they could possibly help they obviously meant help themselves to more money. The spokesman (I suppose I should say spokesperson in these PC times, even though he was a man and he spoke on behalf of the company!!!) also said they were letting people know how to insulate their homes and save not only money but energy and the planet too - you know, the exact same things Margaret Pracy is getting penalized for doing! -
What's also a joke is the fact that British Gas put their prices up with immediate effect but how long do you think it would take to get people into your home to help you make all these money, energy and life saving improvements? After ringing up, going through the loop-de-loop automated phone system, getting the wrong department, loop-de-looping again, getting it all sorted only for no-one to turn up for 3 weeks, ringing back, loop-de-looping again, getting someone different who says "Can't seem to see any note here on the screen about it, you sure you rang the right dapartment, it was someone at this office? I'll put the request in again but it'll take another 2 weeks" getting 3 different contractors round to price up the job, the local authority deciding on who is the cheapest, a wait for the local authority to have a meeting to agree on issuing a grant to pay for the work, a phone call to say when the company is coming, the workmen turning up but the necessary equipment and supplies not being delivered on the right day, the workmen having to go to another job leaving your's half done, then the weekend when they don't work, then back to it the following week, finally finishing it, all in time for either your court case for non payment of an overpriced fuel bill you're looking at, at least, 3 months - or your funeral cos you've died from either hypothermia or all the fucking stress!!!
And to think some people still have the cheek to call this country 'Great' Britain!
